ReFORM-AL at the AL HB 85 Judiciary Hearing

UPDATE: The substitution HB 85 is now online. Follow the bill here, and be prepared to address the bill to the full House, because it seems this bill may pass.

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACTIONHistoryFrameMac.asp?OID=79522&LABEL=HB85
Now on to the review of the Judiciary Committee Hearing:

First, the videos. You can click here to view the entire hearing playlist via YouTube (curtesy of the Sex Offender Issues blog:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSTd7IgvNsW3G5cJjDyl9VMqZ1V44D1Rb

Since YouTube limits videos to 15 minutes, I broke the video into three sections:

Here is my written summary of the Judiciary Committee Hearing:


ReFORM-AL at the House Judiciary Committee
For the past few weeks, ReFORM-AL has been trying to raise awareness of, and stop, Alabama's House Bill 85, the sex offender anti-clustering law. This is the second time this law has been raised in the state legislature, but unlike the previous legislation, two state representatives have expressed a personal reason for passing this legislation. More specifically, state representatives (Ball and Wallace) have stated in media reports their intent to pass the statewide law was to prevent halfway houses from forming in their backyards.

Within a couple of days since the public hearing was requested, a public hearing was indeed scheduled for Wednesday, February 27, 2013, at 1:30 PM. Considering how slow Alabama tends to be, I must admit I was caught off guard by how quickly a public hearing was set. I had barely 48 hours to plan, research, and commutes in order to create a presentation before the House Judiciary Committee. Shiloni Transformation Ministries of Birmingham invited me to be a part of their entourage planning to head to Montgomery to fight HB 85. I graciously accepted the offer, and they paid for a bus ticket to Birmingham so we could plan a strategy.

After arriving in Birmingham five hours behind schedule (no thanks to Greyhound) and getting a mere four hours sleep, I met with Bill Grier, the head of the ministry. Counting myself and Grier, six of us endured the two-hour drive from Birmingham to Montgomery. We honestly did not know what to expect.

We arrived at the Statehouse with plenty of time. There were a number of bills on the docket, but the press was far more interested in a controversial educational bill that was garnering a lot of public attention. The room for the House Judiciary Committee was no larger than average classroom, with the desks for the committee members took up more than half of the room. I set up my video camera and waited for the event to begin. Thankfully, the HB 85 discussion was the first on the docket, so we did not have to wait all afternoon. The room was filled with a number of people, including members of a battered women's shelter called Safeway; however, they did not speak out in favor or against this bill.

The hearing began with testimony from State Representative Wallace, who was one of the sponsors of the bill, but was not on the Judiciary Committee. Accompanying him in support of this bill was CJ Robinson, a county prosecutor from Wallace's house district. Wallace explained his intent with the law was to shut down housing options in his county, particularly those offered by a man named Ricky Martin, who runs a place called Triumph Ministries. Robinson read every catchphrase from the victim industry playbook, from claiming higher recidivism rates to stating if this law saves “just one child” then it is worth it.

I was the first of six individuals speaking out against HB 85. Unlike the proponents of the bill, I was given a mere 2 min. to speak, and to be honest, I don't believe I was even given two full minutes. Since there was no microphone, we were asked to speak loudly. This is never a problem for me. Of course, being forced to speak using my natural voice to amplify my words, and my speech consists of a condemnation of residency restriction laws and a rebuke of the phony statistics offered by the previous speaker, it is no small wonder why the legislature sought to cut me off. Apparently they were not prepared to hear the facts. After the speaker cut me off, and I began returning to my seat, State Representative Givan rebuked the speaker for not allowing me the opportunity to give my presentation and a fair amount of time, given the fact that Wallace and Robinson went well over 2 min. to offer their presentations.

However, despite never working before on any projects in the past, and after only having a couple of conversations with associates of Shiloni Transformation Ministries, we worked very well together. Each individual after me offered aid effort perspective as to why passing HB 85 would be a terrible mistake. Since this ministry was impacted by a countywide anti-clustering law in 2010, which impacted their ability to help register citizens, those who work for the ministry could offer proof of the practical effects of the law, which has resulted in their near collapse. Passing HB 85 would allow the injustices created by the Birmingham/Jefferson County ordinance to become a statewide injustice. One of the graduates of the program offered testimony, along with an attorney with the Southern Center of Human Rights, along with another well-spoken associate of the ministry. Each subsequent testimony supplemented the key points of the previous speakers, and addressed new concerns as they arose.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this particular committee hearing, besides having a decent amount of supporters at the hearing, was the fact that a couple of the judiciary committee members were openly questioning this bill. One of the committee members made note that the law does not differentiate between the most serious offenders and relatively minor offenses like public urination. Committee members questioned Wallace's personal motive for pushing this legislation. Robinson took even more heat; Robinson had claimed a 90% recidivism rate for sex offenders, yet when asked how many of the 33 registered citizens in the one cluster in his county have committed a new sex crime, Robinson had to admit that number was zero.

After the committee hearing, as I stood out in the hallway, State Rep. Givan apologized to me for the behavior of the committee head, gave me a hug, and thanked me for speaking out. She stated that it is very difficult to reform the deep-seated mentality of the state, though she is trying. I handed her the research papers I brought as evidence for the committee to consider.

After I left the Statehouse, our group paid a visit to the equal justice initiative, another nonprofit legal group that specializes in criminal justice reforms. We talked for over an hour, with the hopes the EJI may be able to help us with possible litigation should this bill pass. They shared a number of very sad stories with us, including one individual who is on the registry, who was arrested and sent back to prison for picking up aluminum cans along the side of a road, which apparently is considered employment, and arrested him for a work restriction violation.

It remains to be seen if the appearance of ReFORM-AL, Shiloni Transformation Ministries, and the Southern Center of Human Rights made any impact on the Judiciary Committee, but in light of seeing such vocal questioning of the bill by members of the judiciary committee, I remain optimistic this bill will not pass. As State Rep. Wallace passed by me after the hearing ended, I told him his law is going down. I keep the faith that it will.

If you are in the mood to educate that misinformed assistant DA from Chilton Co., here is the staff directory. It seems they don't have email or even a fax! : http://alada19.com/staff.htm

Press Release: Shiloni Transformation Ministries opposes HB 85 anti-clustering law

Shiloni Transformation Ministry      Press Release

     Shiloni Transformation Ministry has taken a stand against Alabama HB 85. We believe this bill to be in direct violation of Holy Scripture and of citizen's unalienable rights. For those who are not familiar with the bill in question, we are referring to the Anti-Clustering Law being made statewide in Alabama. This law was passed in 2010 for the City of Birmingham in Jefferson County as a "test run" for the entire state to adopt this very damaging piece of legislation. When it was passed in 2010 it effectively disabled our ministry from being able to take in former sex offenders out of prison on a transitional basis. Our ministry has been working to rehabilitate those said sex offenders through use of the Bible, church-related classes, group therapy sessions, and accountability training. We focus on tried and true methods proven time and time again to lower the recidivism rate of sex offenders within all areas of the criminal justice system. HB 85 does state that there is a provision made for half-way houses that are "state approved," we have researched this statement and have found that currently there is no state approval agency or standard set in place. What this tells us is that the legislature of Alabama has taken a stand against our ministry, the US Constitution in the Freedom of Religion and has violated the due process of law, both on a federal and state level.

The Director, Bill Grier, of Shiloni Transformation Ministry had this to say, " The State of Alabama has selectively opposed the assistance of any and all convicted sex offenders. It breaks my heart that I have been made the messenger to sex offenders and even their families that my hands are tied and there is nothing I can do to help them because of the current residency restrictions. It used to be, before the homeless sex offender laws took place, that a sex offender could not even be released without a legal address. It is my belief that we are worse off with the homeless laws in place because the sex offender can be registered in the woods, under a bridge, or even a vacant house. This does not help to prevent them from reoffending but only supports recidivism because they have no structured environment to teach them to take responsibility, and hold themselves accountable for their past and enable them to move forward to become productive members of society. In fact, they don't even send out notification flyers for those registered as homeless. There are sex offenders who already have been granted parole but have nowhere to go. I and my wife Barbara saw this need while working as volunteers in many of the prisons in the State of Alabama and made it our mission to fill this need not only for the sex offenders but also to help protect the community. The current lack of proper treatment of sex offenders is largely to blame for the recidivism of sex offenders and has resulted in an over-crowding of the state and county jails. This is why Jefferson County and the City of Birmingham has went bankrupt since the issuance of the anti-clustering laws within Jefferson County. We will see the same thing happen statewide if  HB 85 is passed into law. We need to have some guidelines for operation and supervision  set in place for proper transitional housing. We need to stop viewing this problem as a political gambit and start working to correct the underlying problems that have been created by these laws. Only then will we see a positive change in our society."

We would also like to bring forward the statistics found from the State of Colorado Department of Corrections Study in 2003. They found that residency restrictions had no effect on recidivism of sex offenders, but a positive living environment, such as a halfway house or with a supportive family, increases an offender's likelihood of living a productive, successful life once their sentences have been served.

Please contact:

Dr. Dustin T. Friend    205-467-8293

ReFORM-AL in the news: "Sex offender pushes for classification reforms"

Yes, this is Yours Truly on CBS 42, speaking out against the registry. I got a plug for this organization. Too bad we also had to share time with VOCAL (Victims of Crime and Leniency), a previously unknown group. Still, this is a positive story I hope helps encourage those willing to fight the upcoming HB 85. My full interview is online already if you are interested.

The VOCAL people are not very educated, and resorted to slandering me instead of stating fact. Feel free to contact VOCAL and educate them on the facts:

Miriam Shelane and Janette Grantham of VOCAL need an education

.

Victims Of Crime And Leniency
422 S Court Street
Montgomery, AL 36104-4102
(334) 262-7197


http://www.cbs42.com/content/special/story/Sex-offender-pushes-for-classification-reforms/_2CTfgsi-EiKNkE78mTS_g.cspx


Sex offender pushes for classification reforms



Reported by : Phillip Ohnemus
Published: 2/20/2013 - 4:46 pm



BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) - When it comes to a threat of our children nothing raises a red flag like the threat of a sex offender living in our community.

In the last 20 years penalties for sex offenders and laws restricting their movements have grown exponentially.

It's something Derek Logue is fighting. "We still have a far long way to go to determine who is a high risk and who isn't."

Logue uses himself as the ultimate example. In 2001, he was convicted of sexual abuse of an 11-year old girl.

But he says it was an isolated incident and he's no threat to the general public. "I'm not out reoffending… I've been out for 10 years and I haven't reoffended haven't been accused of reoffending and it's not enough to satisfy society. Tthey judge me on something I did in my college years and I'm a middle aged man now."

Janette Grantham and Miriam Shehane say "big deal."Tthey are victims rights advocates. 

Through their non-profit organization VOCAL, Victims of Crimes and Leniency, they stand up for victims who cannot or will not stand up for themselves.

Neither has any sympathy for a man who served just 25 months of a six year sentence for his crime.

Grantham says victims aren't so lucky. "It stays with them. If they could serve two years or three years and then they could go on with their life that would be great. But they can never go on with their lives because they are never the same again."

But Logue argues he has paid his penance. He believes the restrictions he and others like him are forced to live under a decade after their release from prison are punitive.

"You send them to prison, they're glorified dog cages. You incapacitate them for years and years they develop no skills they get no treatment when they're in there and when they get out of prison. You deny them housing, you deny them a support network, you deny them jobs. I was homeless for a while."

Logue attributes the homelessness and the fact that he is not working to his status as a sex offender. "I have a degree, I should be out working, but society fears me so much that most people won't hire me because of the label. You're a sex offender."

Logue takes issue with the sex offender database. He says it was intended to allow law enforcement to have a private list to check up on when a child goes missing... But changes in law have made the database public.

Where Logue takes issue there is no classification in Alabama making it impossible for people to determine who is and is not a threat.

Says Logue, "We feel like we have to rely on some list that can't differentiate between a drunken mooner and a pedophile to make a determination on a person's character. You can't judge my character based on a list."

Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls admits the system is flawed. And legislators are working to find a way to better classify and identify who is a danger to society. But Falls says the subject is not a black and white issue.

“It's very delicate trying to create a law that everyone will agree with. The question becomes, should that be required for the rest of their lives? And, every situation is different."

But victim’s advocates have a much simpler solution.

Janette Grantham suggests, "All they have to do if they don't want to be burdened with a sex offender label on their driver's license and everywhere they go, then don't commit the crime."

Mirium Shehane adds "everybody has choices. And you better think about that. What choices you make in life… there are consequences."

State Rep. Wallace admits to segregationist NIMBYism motivation behind HB 85

It is amazing what a little community pressure does to expose the real reason behind a politico's actions. I give you Senator Kurt Wallace and his NIMBYism:

http://www.myfoxal.com/story/20968454/community-concerned-over-sex-offenders-living-at-a-church

Community concerned over sex offenders living at a church

Posted: Feb 05, 2013 11:51 AM EST
Updated: Feb 06, 2013 10:47 AM EST
By Clare Huddleston - bio | email


FOX6 News discovered that 36 sex offenders have listed this church as their place of residence since 2010. Source: WBRC video



CHILTON COUNTY, AL (WBRC) -
Triumph Church on County Road 374 looks like many churches in Chilton County. It has a cross above the door, an inspirational message on the sign out front, but it has also become home to 36 sex offenders. 

"I don't like them living that close to me because my wife works in the yard a lot and they walk up and down the road all the time," explained Gordon "Duck" Burkhalter. 

Burkhalter says Triumph Church popped up a few years ago. He does not mind the ministry, but he does not think it needs to be in a group setting and he does not like their living conditions. 

"They got 4, 5, 6 trailers with 3-4 people in each trailer as far as I know," said Burkhalter. 

As more sex offenders started moving into the trailers behind Triumph Church, it caught the eye of Chilton County Chief Deputy District Attorney, CJ Robinson. 

"When somebody is released from the Department of Corrections and they are a registered sex offender, the DA get an info packet from the department of corrections and it lists the address, names, and info about the offense," said Robinson.

Since August 2010:

36 sex offenders have listed Triumph Church as their address once they got out of prison.

29 of them committed their crime against children; the youngest victim was 4 years old.

13 cases involved some form of child molestation.

Another concerning stat for Robinson, these convicted criminals don't appear to have any ties to Chilton County. "Only one committed their crime in Chilton county," said Robinson, "That offense was a misdemeanor, it was a non-jail sentence, it was a probationary sentence." 

"It's a scary thought," said State Representative Kurt Wallace, "I wouldn't have a problem with us taking care of our own but don't send me your problem children." 

Wallace isn't happy these sex offenders are moving into his district. He has pre-filed House Bill 85 for the 2013 legislation session. The bill states two sex offenders must live 500 feet apart from each other; they can't live under the same roof unless they are related or in a state-approved facility. 

At this time there is no treatment center for sex offenders and if Wallace's bill passes it could severely limit where sex offenders can live. 

Wallace said, "The biggest concern that people have is where are they gonna go? I don't know. I would suggest they go back to their families and I know where I don't want them to go. I don't want them in my neighborhood." 

Ricky Martin who runs Triumph Church declined to talk to Fox 6 News on camera. However, last year he told our sister station in Montgomery, WSFA, that all of the sex offenders who have come through his church have left as success stories. 

Martin confirmed to Fox 6 News he's against Wallace's bill and he believes his ministry is helping. One sex offender agrees. 

"He has helped us out," said Selid Holt. Holt was convicted of first degree sexual abuse of a 9-year-old female. He moved to Triumph Church from Barbour County. 

Robinson confirms the sex offenders like Holt, who have moved to Triumph Church, have not committed another sex crime that he's prosecuted. Still he thinks in this case it's better to be proactive than reactive. 

"If we wait until there is a child that has been victimized we've waited too late," said Robinson.

Press Release: ReFORM-AL strongly opposes Wallace’s segregationist HB 85 proposal

Hopefully this will get out to the proper press.

http://www.prlog.org/12074050-reform-al-strongly-opposes-wallaces-segregationist-hb-85-proposal.html

Press Release: ReFORM-AL strongly opposes Wallace’s segregationist HB 85 proposal

Press Release: State Representatives Wallace, Jones, and Beckman have sponsored a bill (HB 85) that, if passed, will restrict those forced to register as “sex offenders” to live 500 feet apart from each other and no more than one to a residence or apartment building. While this idea sounds good on paper, the results have disastrous consequences that could put families at high risk of harm.

The state of Alabama currently has a 2000 foot living and work restriction in place; as a consequence, the vast majority of registered citizens, intent on obeying the law after serving out their sentences, are forced to live in very small pockets where they are legally allowed to live and work people will rent to them. The so-called “sex offender clusters” were created by residency restriction laws. For this reason, a growing number of states, like Iowa, and municipalities across the United States have scaled back residency restrictions. Studies in Minnesota and Colorado have shown residency restrictions not only failed to protect citizens, they may actually encourage recidivism. Unlike other states, Alabama's state legislators have decided to exacerbate the problem by creating further limitations on where those forced to register can live.

If HB 85 passes, thousands of Alabama's registered citizens will be forced out of their homes, and that instability has been proven to increase the likelihood of re-offense. When Iowa created their residency restrictions in 2005, they saw a 350% increase in homelessness, and increase the failure to register cases, and even a slight increase in sex crimes in that state in the year following an increase of residency restrictions. In short, while increasing residency restrictions sound good on paper, it actually encourages crime.

Those who sponsor this bill claim that when sex offenders are concentrated in a particular area, this somehow poses a higher risk. Studies have found the opposite; the 2003 Colorado Department of Corrections study on residency restrictions found that residency restrictions had absolutely no impact on recidivism, but a positive living environment, such as a halfway house or with a supportive family, increases an offender’s likelihood of living a productive, successful life once their sentences have been served.

Recidivism among those convicted of sex crimes are already far lower than comparable crimes; the US Department of Justice found after three years, only 3.5% were reconvicted of a new sex crime. Longer-term studies have found recidivism rates are lower than comparable offenses. Interestingly, in an e-mail from Sen. Wallace, sex offenders were compared to “crack addicts”, implying that merely forcing them to live a certain distance away from their “addictions” is a viable solution. In our society, drug offenses had been increasingly subject to a number of punitive laws over the years, and only now have we seen the negative impact that many well-intentioned drug laws have created; in many cases, drug laws had created an environment that encouraged further drug abuse. We recognize in our society that drug offenders are now amenable to treatment, and there are no shortages of halfway houses, treatment options, and support groups for drug offenders. We are also aware that drug offenders are not limited by geography, nor are all drug offenders the same.

Sex offenders are not a homogenous group. Not everyone on the registry will reoffend in spite of the laws, not because of them. Sex offenses are not a matter of geography, but of relationships; what person sleeps at night has no impact on what a person does during the day. While there are a small number of sex offenders who are “fixated” and resistant to treatment, the majority of sex offenders are indeed amenable to treatment, and many have also shown remorse for the things they have done and have no desire to harm anyone.

ReFORM-AL strongly opposes HB 85. We believe this bill will cause far more harm than good for our society. While it may be popular to harm those convicted of sexual offenses in every way possible, our focus should be on doing things that work, rather than things that simply feel good. This law will ultimately backfire; if passed, expect to see an increase of homeless registrants, registrants who simply failed to register, and a possible increase of sex offenses. We are not even addressing the fact that the vast majority of sex crimes are committed by people with no prior record (about 95% of sex crime arrests). Thus, we are devoting a large amount of resources focusing on roughly 5% of the potential threat at best; only about 5% of that 5% will likely re-offend.

Instead, ReFORM-AL would like to offer a solution based upon solid research and experience. Residency restrictions have been proven to be counterproductive; therefore, instead of passing more restriction laws, the state of Alabama should look at repealing them altogether in favor of using the meager resources wasted on this bad piece of legislation on proven methods of education, treatment, and rehabilitation. There are a number of successful resources proven to greatly reduce the already low recidivism rates for those convicted of sex crimes, such as restorative justice programs, circles of support and accountability, and organizations like Jacob Wetterling Resource Center and Stop It Now!

The state of Alabama is only one of seven states that do not support treatment programs of any kind. The sponsors of this bill deny any effective treatment program exists, despite the evidence given by 43 other states and a number of nations around the world that treatment programs that stress accountability, empathy, and responsibility are very effective. This bill, despite the included language that claims an “exception” for halfway houses, will have no exceptions in practice. In an interview with WTVY 4 Dothan, state Representative Mike Jones stated he was going to propose what we now call HB 85 in order to prevent a halfway house from forming. Yet State Representative Wallace claims there will be an exception to the law. Based on Jones’s words, we can reasonably conclude no halfway house will ever be approved as the exception.

Instead of promoting the treatment, rehabilitation, and education programs proven to reduce recidivism, they are choosing to gamble with the lives of your children bypassing feel-good legislation proven time and time again to exacerbate the problem of great concern and our society. Revenge driven laws have proven to make things worse; tough on crime does not mean smart on crime.

The bottom line is if you truly care about children, you will also oppose HB 85. Our efforts to reduce sexual offending in this country should begin with evidence-based education and awareness programs that stress sexual accountability, responsibility, and open communication, coupled with services that provide proper treatment for those who have sexually offended so they at are at least given the opportunity to atone for their past crimes and become a productive member of society. Doing this is not “sympathy for sex offenders”, but in investment in ending the perpetuation of all manners of violence in our great nation.

Derek W. Logue

ReFORM-AL (Registered Former Offender Restoration Movement)

HB 85 to reintroduce anti-clustering law to legislative session

Anti-clustering laws are very bad news, since registrants are forced into the few legal areas to live. This law did not pass statewide in 2010 but was passed in Jefferson County. This law needs to be taken down immediately. Contact the legislators today to prevent this bill from passing!

HB 85
To prohibit more than one unrelated criminal sex
offender from residing in a residence; to provide that no more
than one criminal sex offender may reside in an apartment
complex unless there is a distance of at least 500 feet from
the residence of any other offender; to provide exceptions;
 and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or
effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of
 local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the
 Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section

111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of
 Alabama of 1901, as amended

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. (a) No unrelated criminal sex offender
may establish a residence or other living accommodation in a
residence where another criminal sex offender whose name
appears on the county sheriff's official published sex
offender list resides.

(b) No criminal sex offender whose name appears on
the county sheriff's official published sex offender list may
establish residence or other living accommodations unless
there is a distance of 500 feet or more from the residence of
any other criminal sex offender.

(c) The owner or lessee of the property who
knowingly, willingly, or intentionally permits a violation of
subsection (a) or subsection (b) shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be imprisoned in the
county jail for hard labor for not more than 90 days and be
fined not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each
violation. When collected, those fines shall be equally
distributed to the county sheriff's department and the office
of the district attorney of the county or to the municipal
court for any case prosecuted in the municipal court.

(d) An owner or lessee of property shall not be in
violation of subsection (a) or subsection (b) if the sex
offender is the spouse or child of the owner or lessor or if
 the spouse or child is the owner or lessee of the property.


(e) An owner of property shall not be in violation
of subsection (a) or subsection (b) where the application for
a lease or the lease itself provides a signed statement by the
lessee that the lessee is not a convicted sex offender.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of Chapter
20A of Title 15, Code of Alabama 1975, to the contrary, a sex
offender shall not be in violation of subsection (a) or (b) if
the sex offender is residing at a treatment facility that is a
residential health care facility approved by the State Health
Planning and Development Agency or at a halfway house or
treatment facility certified by the state Health Planning and
Development Agency, or is otherwise incarcerated in a state
facility.

Section 2. Although this bill would have as its
purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased
expenditure of local funds, the bill is excluded from further
requirements and application under Amendment 621, now
appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of
the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, because the
bill defines a new crime or amends the definition of an 
existing crime.

Section 3. This act shall become effective on the
first day of the third month following its passage and
approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Below are the bill's sponsors. Please contact them:

REPRESENTATIVE KURT WALLACE (R) 42nd District (Chilton and Shelby)

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State House:	Room 427-J 11 S. Union Street Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7772	Home Address:	24 Maple Drive Maplesville, AL.  36750
Work Phone:	(334) 366-4211	Email:	representativewallace@gmail.com

---

Representative Kurt Wallace was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

He describes himself as a Conservative Christian who will “fearlessly defend my God, country, and family against all who would do them harm.”

____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JONES (R)   92nd District (Covington and Escambia)

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State House:	Room 427-E 11 S. Union Street Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7739	Home Address: Work Address:	486 Sutton Road Andalusia, AL. 36420 P.O. Box 957 Andalusia, AL. 36420
Home Phone: Work Phone: Cell Phone: Fax Number:	(334) 222-4367 (334) 222-0111 (334) 804-8240 (334) 427-1671	Email:	mljatty@andycable.com

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REPRESENTATIVE Mike Jones was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

REPRESENTATIVE PAUL BECKMAN (R) 88th District (Autauga and Elmore)

Committees:

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State House:	Room 427-D 11 S. Union Street Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7499	Home Address: District Address:	1803 Tara Drive Prattville, AL. 36066 P.O. Box 680155 Prattville, AL.  36068
Home Phone: Work Phone: District Phone: Cell Phone: Fax Number:	(334) 361-0977 (334) 834-4808 (334) 323-5918 (334) 300-1780 (334) 834-4801	Email:	paulbeckmanjr@yahoo.com

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Representative Paul Beckman was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

Here is a news article on the subject. Note the comments from State Rep. Ball:

http://whnt.com/2013/01/27/billpreventgroup/


Bill Aims To Prevent Group Living By Convicted Sex Offenders
Posted on: 9:05 pm, January 27, 2013, by Nick Banaszak

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.(WHNT)-Keeping convicted sex offenders away from each other is the aim of a newly filed bill in the Alabama Legislature.
State Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison) is among a group of lawmakers who are targeting so-called sex offender “clusters” that are often near children. If passed, House Bill 85 would prohibit convicted sex offenders from living at the same residence, preventing community living that Ball said has gotten out of hand in many parts of the state. The bill would also require that all sex offenders live at least 500 feet away from each other.
Ball said several Alabama communities have been hampered by groups of sex offenders living together in closely condensed places like motels and apartment complexes.
“When folks feel their children are endangered, we need to do something,” said Rep. Ball, who helped craft the bill. “If someone has a drinking problem or a drug problem, you need to stay away from people with that same problem, because it’s just not conducive to managing to curb your instincts…If children live nearby and there’s just a large number of them [sex offenders], it just creates a huge problem for that particular community.”
House Bill 85 was filed last week, but there are two exceptions for the 500 foot rule. Sex offenders who are temporarily living at treatment centers within close proximity to other offenders’ houses would be exempt from the guidelines, as would sex offenders who are related.
Rep. Ball dismissed claims that the bill would make it even tougher for sex offenders to live anywhere in Alabama. State law already prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools or daycare centers.
“The fact is, if you commit sex offenses, penalties are probably not as harsh as a lot of people would like them to be…Folks need to think long and hard before they commit those violations.”

Here is Mike Ball's info. Feel free to educate him:

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE BALL (R) 10th District (Madison)

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State House:	11 South Union Street Room 401-A Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7683			District:	Post Office Box 6302 Huntsville, AL 35824
Home Phone: Leg. Phone:	(256) 772-8730 (256) 539-5441			Email:	mikeball@knology.net

The early bills for 2013 state legislative session

Here are the early laws related to sex offenders already pre-filed for the upcoming session:


HB1:  Givan Crimes and Offenses H Pending Committee Action in House of Origin Judiciary 12/7/2012
Children, failure to report a missing child in the first degree, second degree, and in the third degree, failure to report the death of a child, false reporting to law enforcement authorities, crimes of established, Caylee's Law, Sec. 13A-10-9 am'd

ReFORM-AL is opposed to any named memorial laws as epitomies of unsound and asinine policy, and this law is no different.

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HB 3: Drake Children H Pending Committee Action in House of Origin Judiciary 12/7/2012
Child abuse and neglect, mandatory reporting for all persons, training required for certain persons, criminal penalties for making false child abuse or neglect reports, criminal penalties for discharging, disciplining, or penalizing an employee for making a false report, The Savannah Hardin Mandatory Reporting Act, Sec. 26-14-3 am'd

ReFORM-AL opposes this bill, as an extension of the aformentioned Caylee's Law. If anything, the penalty for filing a false rape report should be stiffer than a mere Class C Misdemeanor.

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SB1: Taylor Crimes and Offenses S Pending Committee Action in House of Origin Judiciary 5/24/2012
Children, failure to report a missing child in the first degree, second degree, and in the third degree, failure to report the death of a child, false reporting to law enforcement authorities, crimes of established, Caylee's Law

ReFORM-AL opposes of course, for the same reasons as before. This is starting to sound like a broken record.
____________________________

SB8: Dial Civil Procedure S Pending Committee Action in House of Origin Judiciary 8/2/2012
Class action lawsuits filed in Alabama, plan for undistributed funds to be distributed to Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Department if class members cannot be located, or if distribution to class is not economically feasible, or if class members do not make a claim to the class funds

ReFORM-AL believes this law is a waste of that money that can be better used for non-pork projects that do not propagate sex offender myths, like education or health care.

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Anyways, so far, it seems like the only action of concern is the symbolic Mandatory Reporting laws.

Charges Dropped Against Former ADA Steve Giardini

Just remember, folks, if you are a prosecutor, you live under different standards than us peons. Enjoy living above the law, Steve-0. You can see the actual court decision here.

http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Charges-Dropped-Against-Former-ADA-Steve-Giardini/xioZtNv1SEm7M8k7YlQ6Ww.cspx

Charges Dropped Against Former ADA Steve Giardini



(MOBILE, Ala.)  Just a week before his trial was set to begin, the charges against a former Mobile County Assistant District Attorney have been dropped. Steve Giardini, who once prosecuted sex offenders, was charged with child sex crimes. 

Giardini's first trial ended with a hung jury May 2011. A judge Monday afternoon granted the defense motion to dismiss the charges and also granted the defense motion for judgement of acquittal.

Giardini may have thought he was chatting online and on the phone with a 15-year-old girl, but in reality, he was talking to a male, undercover FBI agent. Their conversations were extremely sexual in nature. But because there was no victim, the judge said there was no case.

"The statute under which Steve was charged is a decades old statute that was never designed for computer solicitation or anything of that nature," said Giardini's defense attorney Dennis Knizley.

Knizley says now there is a law that covers when perpetrators think they are soliciting minors, even if they're not. Giardini had been charged with that, too, but the charge was dropped because the law went into effect in May 2009, one month after Giardini's activity stopped.

We went by Giardini's  Midtown home for comment Tuesday. No one came to the door.

Knizely says it's been three years, nine months since this case began, and with the judge's ruling, it's finally come to an end.

"It's not something to be condoned, but just because we don't like the conduct does not necessarily make it criminal. And in this case it was not criminal," said Knizley.

Knizley says Giardini has an active law license and family in Huntsville, but he has not discussed what Giardini's plans for the future are. 

The Alabama Attorney General's Office prosecuted the case and emailed this statement Tuesday afternoon:

"We are disappointed in the ruling of the court. We feel that our case was strong and cogent. We have no further comment at this time." 

Former legislator now must register as a sex offender

I don't know what his track record is on sex crimes, but I don't recall any dissenting votes when Alabama passed the Adamned Walsh Act.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/11/former_state_legislator_princi.html

Former state legislator, principal James Thomas convicted of sexual contact with student

By The Associated Press 
on November 02, 2012 at 12:14 PM

Email | Print

Former state legislator James Thomas in the courtroom with his attorney Lewis Gillis in Camden, Ala., earlier this week. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

CAMDEN, Alabama — Former state Rep. James Thomas has been convicted of a charge of having sexual contact with a student. He was acquitted of a felony sexual abuse charge.
The 69-year-old Thomas was charged with having sexual contact with a 17-year-old honor student in his office at Wilcox-Central High School in Camden in November 2010.
The victim, now a 19-year-old college student, testified that Thomas kissed her and forced her to touch his "private parts."
Circuit Judge Jack Meigs ordered Thomas immediately taken into custody and set sentencing for Dec. 13.
District Attorney Michael Jackson said Thomas will have to register as a sex offender and won't be able to continue as principal. He has been on administrative leave for the past two years while he awaited trial.

Halloweenitis invades Alabama, 2012 edition

It's my birthday. Yes, I was born on Halloween. It is the day for scary things, and nothing is scarier than the fearmongering of our local members of the "law enforcement community."

I'm sure there will be more of the same as the day continues, but here are a couple of stupid articles exacerbating the new sex offender urban myth:

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/10/post_809.html


Watch out for sex offenders on Halloween, Jefferson County authorities warn
 By Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com
on October 30, 2012 at 2:11 PM, updated October 30, 2012 at 2:33 PM Email | Print

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama - As if Halloween isn't creepy enough already, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning to remind trick or treaters to stay away from the real creeps.

The ghoulish truth is convicted sex offenders are out there, sheriff's officials said, and parents and children need to know where they are and avoid those homes when planning their routes.

"It's just the world we live in now,'' said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. "The truth is it has always been a safety issue, but back in the old days there was no sex offender registry available. Our children were just out there without a safety net."

"The fact that we know where they are now is very helpful in arming our parents with that information,'' Christian said, "so they can make safe, good , decisions about avoiding them and keeping our young people out of harm's way."

To find out if there are any sex offenders nearby, go to the sheriff's office website at www.jeffcosheriff.net and click on Sex Offenders. "What we want more than anything,'' Christian said, "is for all of our little ghost and goblins to have a safe and fun Halloween."

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/10/huntsville_police_increase_pat.html


Home Owners Should: Have a well-lit home both inside and out to prevent vandalism and injuries, remove all obstacles from their lawns to avoid injuries and don't use candles in ornaments that could set a fire.

Check their neighborhoods for known sex offenders by visiting _____ (website deleted)

I'd like to remind these people that research has shown that these laws are not necessary, as Halloween has already been safe. http://www.oncefallen.com/HalloweenLaws.html

There is no statewide law banning registrants from participating in Halloween, but use caution before engaging in any Halloween Activity. Cops are looking for any excuse to detain you.

Mike Jones trying to prevent halfway house in Andalusia

Another Alabama State Rep exploiting public fear for a re-election bid wants to stop a halfway house for registrants. Contact him and show him why preventing halfways houses for registrants is a bad idea.

http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Sex-Offender-Half-Way-House-Rep-Mike-Jones-171848531.html


Sex Offender Half-Way House Rep. Mike Jones

One Alabama lawmaker says ... He hears the concerns of Covington County residents regarding a possible halfway house for sex offenders ... Loud and clear.
Representative Mike Jones of Andalusia says he plans to co-sponsor a bill ... To keep convicted sex offender Carlton Bender ... From building such a facility.
It would be located in the natural bridge community near the Covington Walton county line.

Rep. Jones's contact info:

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JONES (R)   92nd District (Covington and Escambia)

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State House:	Room 427-E 11 S. Union Street Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7739	Home Address: Work Address:	486 Sutton Road Andalusia, AL. 36420 P.O. Box 957 Andalusia, AL. 36420
Home Phone: Work Phone: Cell Phone: Fax Number:	(334) 222-4367 (334) 222-0111 (334) 804-8240 (334) 427-1671	Email:	mljatty@andycable.com

For law enforcement and neighbors, sex offender clusters present difficult problem

This is an article from the Mobile County Lagniappe, a local interest paper. I thought it was a very well written piece, not just because I'm in it.

http://classic.lagniappemobile.com/article.asp?articleID=5688&sid=1

For law enforcement and neighbors, sex offender clusters present difficult problem


By Katie Nichols
Issue# 
AUGUST 7, 2012

A grandmother sits outside her West Mobile home watching her 6-year-old grandson do figure eights on a bicycle. A typical summertime scene played out in most residential neighborhoods every day until the threatening skies of an afternoon thunderstorm forces little ones and their caretakers safely back inside. But little did this grandmother know there was something far more potentially threatening than the dark afternoon skies living less than a mile away.

The grandmother interviewed by Lagniappe seemed shocked to learn a "cluster” of sex offenders live so close to her. But how could she know? Her home falls just outside the zone required for notification of a sex offender’s presence.

"There’s how many sex offenders over there?” asked the grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous. "There’s 12 sex offenders just up there? Well, he ain’t coming out here by himself anymore.”

The grandmother lives close to one of three groupings of more than 10 sex offenders in Mobile County. She just happens to live near the largest inside the city limits — the Taylor Motel, located at 2598 Government Boulevard. According to county records, 12 convicted sex offenders currently live at the motel.

The grandmother starts to gather the kid’s bike and other toys and said, "He’s not going to be around any of them. I’d trust a murderer with him before I did a pedophile.”

While the grandmother worries about her young grandson, men who are "forced” to live in  sparse cinder block motel rooms, like those at the Taylor, say they have served their time, but they’re still in a virtual prison. 

Sex offenders all over the nation are convening together, and not because they want to live with other sex criminals, but because the laws are inadvertently creating these "clusters.”

A sex offender cluster is a concentrated group of registered sex offenders who live at the same address. These typically can form in motels and mobile home parks, but can also develop in some apartment complexes. "Clustering” is happening all over the country because, according to experts, it is an "unintended consequence” of state laws that limit where offenders can live.

In Mobile County, there are three clusters with more than 10 offenders living permanently. The largest grouping of sex offenders in Mobile County is at a modest RV park in Irvington, with 15 offenders living at 7530 Highway 90, according to OffenderSearch, an online database for sheriff’s offices. The two other clusters are in Mobile and are less than five miles apart. Twelve sex offenders live at Taylor Motel, and 10 offenders live at Crest Hotel, 4421 Government Blvd., according to OffenderSearch.

Every sex offender Lagniappe spoke to freely admitted they are social pariahs. Securing a decent job, housing or a normal life is nearly impossible, but it can happen if you luck into finding a person willing to help, which is rare.

One person who saw a need for a space for sex offenders to live is Bill Buckner, who owns and operates the RV park in Irvington. 

"I’ve been letting sex offenders stay here since 2002, but I’ve owned the place since 1998,” he said. "I do it because a lot of them have no other place to go. I have some mighty fine guys out there, and I have some that aren’t.”

Buckner doesn’t have anything against sex offenders, but doesn’t put up with violent ones.

"I don’t have to run them out of here … the police do that,” he said. "I don’t have a big turnover like some of the other places. Right now I have two or three guys in jail because they weren’t doing what they’re supposed to do. A lot of the guys here are trying.”

Buckner is clearly respected by the tenants and for good reason. The detectives in charge of monitoring the sex offenders call him when there’s a problem. 

"It’s not my responsibility to watch them, but, yeah, I do take it as my own,” he said. "If they’re doing what they should, then it’s better for everyone.”

Even though most of Buckner’s tenants are appreciative of his kindness, not everyone likes having an area teeming with sex offenders in their city. Buckner talked about people’s reaction to his tenants and said once people find out they either treat him like a sex offender, which he is not, or don’t really care.

"I can tell when people have a problem. They don’t have to say anything, but I’ve been around the block and can tell when it bothers them,” he said. "You have other people that don’t hold it against you and then you have those that do. It doesn’t bother me though. I’m doing what I think I should.”

One of the people who support Buckley’s decision happens to be residing at the RV Park. Don, who is not a sex offender, didn’t want his last name revealed and has lived in the park on and off for 13 years, said living in the park is "extremely tense.”

Living among sex offenders isn’t Don’s wish, but he said sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

"I wish (Buckner) wouldn’t have done it, but he’s a great person and friend so I’ll respect his decision,” Don said. "There are some people here who I think shouldn’t be on the list and then there are others that shouldn’t be living.”

Don motioned to an RV just a few feet from his camper and said, "This guy here is a piece of trash. He’s a real pedophile. You got guys like him who are just sick and then you got guys that work, try to do right and make something out of themselves. They’re the ones who shouldn’t be on the list.”

Don isn’t just an average person living amongst sex offenders. A long time ago, Don said, a pedophile took one of the most precious things in his life.

"I had a child killed by a sex offender,” he said with tears in his eyes. "That pedophile killed my 9-year-old daughter. I will never get over that. My wife Betty, who is now dead, never got over it. 

"There’s no place in this world for a pedophile,” he added.

The grandmother near Taylor Motel felt the same way.

"If you’re found guilty of hurting a child like that, then … I just don’t know. People like that can’t be with the rest of civilization. There’s something just wrong with them, and I don’t think they can get better,” she said. "It’s like once you have that against you, then the rest of the world … the regular world, is against you.”

The sex offenders interviewed said they feel the same — that there are few places for them, and they’re always against everyone else. 

"It was incredibly hard for me to find a place,” said convicted sex offender Ron Morrison who lives at the RV Park. "When I got out of prison the law was you couldn’t leave as a sex offender if you didn’t have an address. You couldn’t be homeless and be a registered sex offender. 

"Well, I spent an extra 20 days in prison because I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Morrison was one of many sex offenders who spoke with Lagniappe who was at one time homeless. Morrison however, has a different set of challenges. 

"I was living in the woods because I didn’t have anywhere else to go and I almost died,” he said. "I was out there for weeks without supplies for my colostomy. Anyway, I walked out of the woods without any clothes on beside my drawers and a couple of people just happened to pass by. They called 9-1-1 and I spent a long time in the hospital. I didn’t want to live in the woods, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

M.C. Hudson and Gary Padgett, who both live at the RV Park, also had difficult experiences finding a place to live that are accepted by state law. 

"It’s pretty tough,” Hudson said. "I’d been several places before here. Whenever the fliers (notifying about a sex offender) go out, that’s when you get evicted and you gotta move again.”

Even among sex offenders, they tend to separate themselves from each other.

During interviews, a clear line separating convicted pedophiles, a person attracted to children, and other sex offenders formed quickly. Non-sex offenders and sex-offenders alike classified pedophiles as the lowest of the low. Other sex offenders who said they should one day be removed the registry also stated pedophiles should never be let out of prison. 

"There’s a lot of people on the list that shouldn’t be,” Morrison said. "I was convicted 21 years ago of fondling my niece. My stepdaughter started that mess and even my niece’s mom said I didn’t do anything. I pleaded guilty before I knew what it meant. I haven’t been convicted of any other sex offense since, but I’m still a sex offender.”

Morrison, who was convicted of sexual abuse first degree of a 6-year-old, supported the idea of others that pedophiles are a lower class of sex offender. 

"I don’t see how anyone can want a child like that,” he said. "It’s not right.”

Each sex offender interviewed said pedophiles shouldn’t be allowed out of prison, but argued for leniency for their own situations, although some had been convicted of abusing children under 12 years old.

A remedy for the clustering and living arrangements in general for sex offenders is not something easily solved.

The problem, Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said, is no one wants sex offenders living near schools and daycares nor do people want sex offender clusters, but the two create each other.

"There are very few places in the city of Mobile where a sex offender can live, so that’s why you get the clustering,” Cochran said. "It’s easier to find places to live for a sex offender in rural areas, but then they are away from public transportation and places where they get treatment for mental problems and drug or alcohol problems.”

The solution is something that evades legislators and law enforcement officials alike. 

"No one wants to appear to be sympathetic to sex offenders especially elected officials,” Cochran said. "That being said, I’m not sure what can be done to deal with clusters and sex offenders living near places where there are children.

"I think if there was a place where sex offenders could live sort of separately and get the help they need would be the best, but that would probably be a problem somehow too.”

In Mobile County, there are 185 active registered sex offenders according to Cochran. Keeping up with them, including the 19 homeless offenders can be tricky, but technology has helped with the problem.

"We now are part of the state’s system that people can check 24 hours a day,” he said. "The deputies can use that to put an address in and see if it violates any rule of living 1,000-feet from a school or daycare.”

Although technology has helped with tracking, ever-changing laws typically mean new challenges for law enforcement, but sometimes the new laws can help agencies.

"Well, usually the laws make it more difficult, but recently a law was passed that sex offenders can leave prison without an address. 

"It used to be that we would have to hold them until they found a place to live. That meant I’d have a lot of sex offenders who had served their time just sitting in prison, which costs money.

"Well, now they can be homeless as long as they check in every week. They have to give us an area they live in like a bench or bridge. Even then, they can’t stay in certain areas.”

Keeping up with sex offenders even with dedicated deputies, police, volunteers and technology doesn’t mean there won’t be some who fall through the cracks. 
It became apparent in talking with people who live in clusters that not everyone who is registered at an address actually lives where they say they do.

"Oh, that guy hasn’t been here in about a month,” Don said. "There are a lot of them who say they live here, but don’t. They get caught here though because Bill and I’ll tell the police.”

An employee at Taylor Motel spoke to Lagniappe on the condition of anonymity. The employee went down a list of sex offenders who were supposed to live at the motel.
A number of the offenders moved out weeks ago and were not registered at other locations, lived at the motel only on the weekends or simply held that address, but did not actually live there, the employee said.

Even though the likelihood of changing state laws to help sex offenders is slim-to-none, there are a few offenders who work toward the goal.

Derek Logue is a registered sex offender and unless laws change, he will always need to register or check in anytime he moves or goes on vacation more than a couple of days.
Logue pleaded guilty to sexual assault first degree in 2000 after he had contact with an 11-year-old girl in Alabama. 

After his conviction and three years served in the Bullock County Correctional Facility in Union Springs, Ala., Logue began trying to change laws regarding sex offenders through groups like ReFORM Alabama (Registered Former Offenders Restoration Movement), in which he is active.

Logue, who now lives in Cincinnati, says if he had it his way, people convicted of a sexual offense would serve their time and be done with it. 

"The registry doesn’t work,” he said in a phone interview. "Limiting where sex offenders can live doesn’t work either. We’ve served our time.”

Logue said the rate of recidivism is lower for sex offenders than nearly any other major crime, yet the group is monitored unlike bank robbers, murderers and other criminals.
According to the Bureau of Justice Labor Statistics, the rate of recidivism for sex offenders three years out of prison is 5.3 percent and compared to non-sex offenders released from state prisons, released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime.

The bureau also found about 1 percent of the released prisoners who had served time for murder were arrested for another homicide within three years, and about two percent of the rapists were arrested for another rape within that period.

While murderers and rapists (classified separately) are less likely to commit the same crime than sex offenders, sex offenders are still among the lowest for rearrest compared to other offenses, according to the bureau.

Logue said the stigma attached to sex offenders is what causes problems for the convicts. 

"When I was trying to find a place to live after I was released from prison, which you have to do or you’re arrested for failure to register, I searched everywhere for a (half-way) house that took sex offenders,” he said. "Just a few days before I was released I heard back from a house in Ohio.

"I’m from Sheffield, Ala. and I moved back there in 2009. Then, I moved back to Ohio, but if I want to even go visit my mother, who lives in the country (rural area), I have to register there if I’m going to be there for like five days. Other convicts don’t have to worry about registering. The registry isn’t a magical list.”

Not surprisingly, Logue is not in favor of any type of anti-clustering laws, and cited Jefferson County’s 2011 legislation as how laws can create problems and not solutions.
He felt the laws only hindered rehabilitation for sex offenders.

"Sex offenders should have another chance,” he said. 

A second chance will be hard to come by though. Law enforcement officials, lawmakers, neighbors and even other sex offenders were not quick to offer another shot at life.

"Why should they have another chance,” the grandmother asked. "If they were found guilty, then they’re guilty.”

Toeing the line of pedophile versus other sex offenders, Hudson, who lives at the RV park and was convicted of sodomy first degree of two females and one male under the age of 16, said people who hurt children shouldn’t be helped either.

Don, the man who isn’t but lives among them and who counts several sex offenders as his friends, said certain convicts shouldn’t be required to register, but others should never be released from prison. 

Sheriff Cochran summed up the plight of the offenders. 

"Even if you want to help them, you can’t,” he said. "No one can look like they’re helping sex offenders.”

With clusters still legal in the state of Alabama and no a solution in sight, a 6-year-old boy stays with his grandmother less than a mile away from a cluster where two sex offenders abused another 6-year-old, and Don, who’s 9-year-old daughter was killed by a pedophile, lives just feet from an offender who was convicted of abusing an 8-year-old. 

The only thing the offenders and non-offenders have in common are neither are happy about the situation.